Pages

May 31, 2017

Well we've made it to the final installment of my European travel capsule! In case you missed it, I took ten items of clothing with me on a trip through Italy, Switzerland and France in April and loved every outfit I created.

For our very last day in Paris, I brought out the striped dress from day one in Venice! I made it a little more sporty this time with a pair of Converse instead of loafers and my utility jacket instead of the floral scarf.

And last but not least, a travel outfit! Although I have to admit, I wore this on the way to Europe, not on the way home. These pictures were taken after an eight-hour flight to Amsterdam so please excuse the wrinkles and the groggy expression.

I also have to admit that this polka dot tee (from LOFT outlet) was not listed in my Introduction post. When I originally created the capsule, I had the scarf in the "extras" category and this t-shirt on the list. But when I went to write that post, I totally forgot about it!

I actually think that I could have created more than seven outfits with these ten pieces (a few of them were only used once)! But ultimately I only need seven outfits for this trip. Which was your favorite?

So my vintage obsession is still going strong, but as my decades start melding into each other (no more strong 40s-inspired outfits; RIP Agent Carter), the obsession has slowly morphed into just a general love of dresses.
Dresses are simple. They're classy. And they're perfect for temperate So Cal climes, especially when the mercury rises as it has been these past few days.
This particular frock is from the early 60s and is my take on "Parisian inspired" because that city always calls to mind bright flowers. I've only been once in my 20s, but my memories have since been influenced by a voracious reading of WWII tales, particularly ones set in the European arena, and all those novels - no matter how bleak - somehow manage to incorporate strong flower imagery.
And this dress just screams floral.

The color composition is so enticing; the hues stunningly vivid. You can see me a mile away. This dress wants to be looked at and admired, and the wearer feels all the more special and beloved and confident because of it. Much like a Parisian woman.
Because the dress is such a statement piece, I've minimized the accessories, keeping with a neutral shoe that, by the way, is my new favorite piece of footwear because they're both sassy and comfy. I love them so much that I bought them in 2 colors and Aly has them in the other two. We highly recommend them; they're still available at Target (shameless but unsponsored plug).

For Alex's turn next week, I challenge her to the following: floral, vivid hues or comfort clothing.
Vive le vendredi!

May 25, 2017

I've had so much fun sharing my travel capsule (1, 2, 3) and trip experiences (Italy, Switzerland) with you over the last couple of weeks! I still have one more wardrobe post coming to you on Wednesday, but today is the final installment of my Spring Break recap!

After a day in the mountains of charming Switzerland, my group of students, parents and teachers took the TGV (the fast train) into Paris. As much as I loved my new experiences in Italy and Switzerland, my French teacher heart felt so happy to be heading "home!" We arrived in time for a supermarket lunch and time at Notre Dame. The trees were in bloom and the sun was shining making for a lovely afternoon!

May 24, 2017

Bonjour, mes amies! I'm back today with the third installment of my Springtime in Europe Travel Capsule. If you missed the first few posts, I traveled to Italy, Switzerland and France for Spring Break with only ten pieces of clothing! Here you can find the list of items with outfit one as well as outfits two and three.

This is the outfit that I wore during our four-hour train ride from Switzerland to France. We hopped off the train and jumped right into sight-seeing so I knew that I wanted to feel comfortable yet put-together. I went for basic color blocking with a navy peplum, a mustard cardigan, some skinny jeans and bright flats.

The next day was spent wandering the streets of Paris, so of course I wanted to look chic while taking care of my feet. These comfy loafers really took care of me throughout Europe! Can you believe they are from Old Navy?! They are totally walkable and have actually held out considering the price. I've been wearing them non-stop since I got home, too! The coral pair is sold out online but you can still buy them in a pretty off-white. Old Navy is also carrying a slightly different pair of moccasins that are just as comfy!

Anyways, back to the outfit! I can't get enough of florals lately so it was fun to have something pretty and spring-like to wear on vacation. Add my trusty coral jacket and some skinnies and I'm all set!

And with that, we are almost to the end of the series. Just one more post to go! But while you're here, please link-up your fashion fashion posts lately below with The Blended Blog!

May 23, 2017

Yesterday I posted about the amazing trip I took to Toronto with the most amazing group of women ever! Now that I've recapped our Canadian adventures, I want to take the time to talk about each of these women who I can now call my friends in real life. Because if you don't know them already, you really need to!

I'm starting with Nicole from Nick & Nicole Plus 4 because she took the beautiful photos you see in this post! She works as a professional photographer so if you live near Barrie, Canada and need someone to take beautiful photos, you must choose her. Going into this experience, I was in awe of Nicole and the fitness journey she has been on for the past year. To meet her and to find that, not only is she strong and dedicated, she is a ton of fun was an absolute delight! We were bus buddies on our day trip to Niagara and I really enjoyed learning more about her and her family and sharing our love for the Fitness Marshall. I'm ready for a dance party when you are, Nicole!

Deena, our fearless leader! She writes over at Shoes to Shiraz and is, without a doubt, the coolest person I know. From her effortlessly badass style to her ability to make the best selfie faces, I kind of just want to be her. But really, I admire Deena because she's got it all together...the job, the family, the blogging...and still finds time to be a dedicated and loving friend!

Alison of Puppies and Pretties was one of my roommates for the trip. Of all the time I spent with her throughout the weekend, my favorite moments were the goofy ones spent in our hotel room. We laughed so much about everything from hotel robes to dry shampoo. You won't find a kinder, more down to earth girl than Alison. Although I blame her for my Lilly Pulitzer wish list. This girl has the best collection of Lilly tops!

Shaunacey from Simply Shaunacey is the funny, caring, sassy and grounded girl you just want to be your friend! She just has this air of "it's cool, I've got this" about her while being absolutely hilarious. She's pregnant with a baby girl and it was so fun to throw her a little shower over the weekend.

Andrea of Living on Cloud Nineis the absolute sweetest human being on this planet. From the moment you meet her, she will make you feel special and loved. I feel so blessed that she lives so close to me and sometimes vacations in my hometown. I'm banking on more time with this one over the summer. I need more Andrea in my life!

Katie of The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life was my other roommate for the weekend. She has the biggest smile and the most infectious laugh of the group. Seriously, is she ever not smiling?! Katie is just the kind of person who makes your life brighter and who lightens up a room with her presence. I want to spend some days relaxing by the pool with her (although her tan will put me to shame).

Sarah of Foxy's Domestic Side is just an absolute delight and she loves candy just as much as I do! She's got the biggest smile, the prettiest skirts and the best lipstick collection of anyone I know. On top of that she's so sweet and tons of fun! I feel like we could just sit on the couch over drinks and chit chat the night away.

Lisa from Daily Style Finds has this overall poise that you wish you could master while still being so very down-to-earth and kind. I enjoyed talking with her as we strolled the streets of Toronto. She is another Midwesterner so I'm really hoping for the chance to see her more often and to know her even better!

Lana blogs at My New Happy and is the kind of person who puts you at ease. She is so easy to talk to and makes you feel comfortable in any situation. I hope that a little bit of her confidence and contentedness with life rub off on me!

Christy from RSquared is such a ball of energy! She has this zest for life that actually makes you feel more energetic. From her perfectly shaped haircut to her bold style and fun personality, she will make your day more happy and exciting!

These women are all so special in their unique ways. They inspire me to be a better person, celebrate the happy moments in life with me and lift me up when I'm down. I hope you will enjoy getting to know them as much as I have!

May 22, 2017

You may have noticed that I've got this little thing called wanderlust. You name the place, I want to go there and explore! So when 76th & Newbury reached-out to offer me a travel map, I jumped at their offer!

I chose the Modern World Travel Map and truly enjoyed the design process! I got to choose the name at the top, the quote and the color the the map details. Once I made my choices, my very own consultant created a proof and e-mailed it to me so that I could see exactly what the final product would look like.

After confirming my proof, a couple of weeks flew by and the map arrived at my door with a box of pushpins (my choice of color) to mark the countries that I've visited!

I absolutely love this personal, visual reminder of my travels. I also like to look at my map and daydream about where I will go next!

If you are looking for the perfect gift for your friend who's caught the travel bug or maybe that newly married couple who plans to travel together, I would highly recommend a travel map from 76th and Newbury!

Random Friend: So you're traveling to another country to meet a bunch of people you met online?
Me: Yes I am!

And I couldn't be happier I did!

Just over one year ago, I was invited to join a collaboration called The Blended Blog. I already knew a few of the other bloggers in the group but most were introduced to me as I started to write with them.

Instantaneously I found myself a part of the most amazing group of women. We blog across different age groups, countries and phases in life but despite our differences, these thirteen women have become the greatest of friends and one of the strongest support systems I have in my life. In fact, I think our differences are what makes us great! We represent women everywhere while strengthening each other through life's ups and downs.

One year later (this past weekend), I hopped in my car to make the trek from home to Toronto, Canada where I spent the weekend meeting ten of these women in real life! I can't express how surreal it was to see their smiling faces in front of me instead of through my computer screen. Each and every one of them was exactly what I expected. Their blogging voices are so authentic that I knew exactly who I was meeting. I am so so blessed to be able to call these women my true friends now and I'm already itching to spend more time with them.

Tomorrow I want to individually honor each of these women, their unique personalities and their amazing blogs, but tonight I'm sharing some pictures from our trip!

May 18, 2017

Hey, friends! I'm back today with another post about my recent trip to Europe. In case you missed it, I explained the reason for my trip and my first few days spent in Italy here.

Picking up where I left off in my first travel post, our group arrived at our hotel in the Swiss Alps on the second evening of our trip. That picture up there is of our hotel. Have you seen something so charming in your life?! Below you'll find the view from my balcony as well as the little street where our hotel was located. This was by far my favorite hotel of the trip!

The morning after our arrival, we took a walking tour of Lucerne, Switzerland and had some free time to eat lunch and shop. I found Lucerne to be a lovely, not-very-touristy town full of Alpine charm. It was quiet expensive, though. I spent almost $50 at the chocolate shop below! But you have to splurge on Swiss chocolate, right?!

May 17, 2017

Last week I introduced you to a series that I'm really excited about: my packing capsule for an eight-day trip to Europe during the spring. In my first post I shared the ten pieces included in the capsule as well as outfit number one! I'm back today with outfits two and three.

The items included in this outfit are a navy peplum, a floral scarf, skinny jeans, Converse and my coral jacket (the links to the individual items are in my first post). I wore this outfit for a day when I really needed a variety of layers. We started the day in Venice, spent most of it riding on a bus (comfort being key), cruised around sunny Lake Como for a few hours and then ended-up in the mountains of Switzerland.

The stretchy skinnies and loose-fitting peplum were comfy on the bus. The jacket and the scarf were easy to throw on or take off depending on the current temperature!

This next outfit consists of a pink sweatshirt, that floral scarf again, boyfriend jeans and Converse. My coral jacket was also tossed into this mix because this was the coldest day of the trip.

I wore this outfit for a walking tour of Lucerne, Switzerland and then to travel to the top of Mount Pilatus (more on Switzerland tomorrow). Again, the layers worked for the varying temperatures and my Converse were practical enough for being in the mountains.

Well, we've been from sun to snow in one post! Thanks for stopping-by today and make sure to link-up your favorite style post below for Fashion Files with The Blended Blog!

Meet Whitney

Bonjour! My name is Whitney! I'm a thirty-something navigating a career change, wedding planning, and wardrobe remixing on a budget- all while exploring my new hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Join me as I make my thirties my best decade yet!